Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) said on Friday, May 8, that it struck a major oil refinery and a pumping station in the Russian city of Perm, more than 1,500 km (930 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
According to the SBU, the strikes were carried out by the agency’s special operations units as part of tasks set by President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Drones targeted the Lukoil-Permnefteorgsintez refinery and the Perm oil pumping station, both key elements of Russia’s energy infrastructure.
The agency said the refinery was hit for the third time, with a fire reported at a primary oil processing unit. A storage tank at the pumping station was also damaged.
Why the targets matter
The Permnefteorgsintez refinery is one of Russia’s largest, supplying fuel to both civilian sectors and the military.
Ukraine struck Russian oil refineries in Perm, around 1,500 km (932 miles) away from the border, overnight on Thursday.
The pumping station, operated by Transneft, is a strategic hub in Russia’s oil transport network, distributing crude in multiple directions.
Ukraine has increasingly targeted Russia’s oil infrastructure as part of its long-range strike campaign.
Ukraine’s defense ministry said it struck 14 refineries in Russia throughout April, including the Bashneft-Novoil refinery in Ufa (Republic of Bashkortostan), located about 1,400 km (870 miles) from the Ukrainian border, and the Lukoil-Nizhegorodnefteorgsintez refinery in Kstovo (Nizhny Novgorod Oblast), roughly 800 km (497 miles) from the border.
Kyiv said the goal is to curb Russia’s oil revenue, as global fuel prices surge due to supply disruptions from the war in Iran. Zelensky said the damage to Russian oil amounted to $7 billion thus far in 2026.
The head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office previously hinted that the refinery strikes help consolidate Kyiv’s positions in peace talks with Moscow.
According to the SBU, such strikes aim to disrupt fuel supplies, complicate military logistics, and force Moscow to divert resources to repairs.